


This Small Pond

by crowind



Series: Problem Nine And Two [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 16:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13275168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowind/pseuds/crowind
Summary: There was a proposal, and a counter-proposal, and all in all, it was business as usual.





	This Small Pond

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elenathehun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenathehun/gifts).



> With thanks to the-roadkill-cafe for beta-reading and brainstorming.

"A new hospital. What's wrong with the one we have right now?" 

It was Biwako's first time of meeting the young Third Hokage in person, and in private, and she was beginning to think she had the wrong man. She watched with barely concealed disdain as the stubbly and disheveled man before her, notably hatless and robeless, bounced a scroll on his knee. Biwako's proposal, the work of twenty days of meticulous research and writing, and he barely gave it a once-over. Well, all right, he had the important man part down, the one where you never had to read a document in full if there was a sucker to summarise it for you. 

She cleared her throat. "As I have laid out in the proposal, ahem, on your knee – " 

He lifted a hand to stop her. "No, never mind that. Tell you what, I'll consider it if you'll go on a date with me." 

"A date." Her tone could freeze the steaming cup of tea before him. Not a tone one should use before the supreme leader of the village, but said supreme leader shouldn't have used his position to satisfy his – his _concupiscence_. 

Sarutobi grinned. He seemed to be aiming for rakish, and succeeded at making himself very appealing – to be punched. "Your face seems disgusted. Are you disgusted? But not terribly surprised. I'm hurt! Who slandered me? Was it Danzou?" 

It took her considerable will to simply stand and stretched her hand out for the scroll. "May I have the proposal back if you are quite finished, Hokage-sama?" 

"Finished, so soon? Whatever gave you that impression?" His expression shifted, more calculating now. "I'm afraid not. This is mine now, and I shall study it. But in the meantime, wouldn't you please consider – " 

Somehow she made it outside without further incident, short of breath out of sheer indignation. Walking aimlessly with the cool autumn breeze on her face helped, a bit. Biwako wondered which was more miraculous: that she had held on to her temper for so long, or that the Hokage hadn't taken offense. But Hokage could afford to be magnanimous. And take his amusement as he saw fit, evidently, her dignity be damned. 

-— 

"And you turned him down?" was all Biwako's sister said after she was done regaling her with the morning's tale. The burgeoning vindication at Ginko's growing frown was dashed thoroughly as it turned out her own sister was a traitor. 

"Seriously?" Biwako hissed. "Were you listening at all?" 

Ginko rolled her eyes. “It's Sarutobi Hiruzen – you're the kunoichi of the family, you should've known better. I know you did. You actually put on some rouge – I thought it was going to snow! But seriously, after all that labour you’re going to leave it like this?" 

"I didn't expect it to work _that_ well," Biwako huffed, knife coming down on leek as though she was its executioner. "And speaking of 'should have's, it's not too much to expect the Hokage to have some decorum, damn it. But you're right, tomorrow I'm going to go back in there," Biwako said firmly, "and apologise, re-negotiate, soothe whatever ruffled feathers. But I am _not_ going to – " 

The door to the kitchen opened loudly. It was Seiji's upturned nose, the rest of him being too good to cross the threshold of the kitchen. "If you girls would stop chattering for a second, we might actually have dinner some time this evening," he said loftily. 

"Just a minute, young master," Ginko said, rottingly saccharine, but Seiji was already leaving. "Oh, it's not worth it," she said to Biwako. 

"What's the point of being an older sister if I couldn't pull my stupid brother's ear?" Biwako sniffed. 

Nevertheless, dinner was cooked and served in relative silence. It wasn't until Ginko had her turn at the dishes that Father spoke up. "Where's Shouko?" 

The sisters exchanged glances. "She's resting, Father," Ginko said delicately, "Shouko just had a miscarriage." 

Father scoffed. "You children, so spoiled. When your mother had miscarriages, why she was on her feet in no time." Then, after his brain had caught up with his mouth, "When did this happen?" 

Biwako let Ginko do all the talking, lest she did something she would regret, like yelling _that's how Mother died so early!_ and ruining Ginko's delicious steamed carp. Procuring fresh fish, even freshwater fish, was an auspicious moment worth letting one or two thoughtless comments slide. Besides, shinobi humour could be worse. She tuned in just in time to catch her father commanding Ginko to take a portion of tonight's dinner to her poor sister. 

It was also just in time for Biwako's turn. "… saw your fiance today. The Suemitsu kid. Still a nice and polite chap, why did you break up with him again?" 

Biwako bit her tongue before answering as politely as possible, "We just don't see eye to eye." 

Seiji sniggered. "Meaning she scared his pants off." 

She glared at him, but Father was in one of his moods tonight. He looked at Biwako with big, watery eyes, like a lion trying not to scare its prey. "Dear girl, no couple completely agrees on everything, even after years and years of marriage. Why, your mother and I…" He trailed off on a wistful note. Unfortunately for Biwako, he came back sooner rather than later. "Suemitsu, I know his father. Good, hardworking lad, he'll be able to provide for you; you won't need to stay in the Corps anymore. And I don't see why they're still keeping you there. Isn't an entire childhood enough? I've always paid my taxes, and then some. Must they continue to take away my daughter too?" 

Biwako shoveled food into her mouth, as though it might salve her heart. It didn't. She said, "I happen to enjoy working in the hospital, _and_ the Medical Corps. And I'm doing this for the sake of people like _us_ , Dad." 

"Oh, Dad, speaking of people like us," Ginko chirped forcefully, and both parties simmered down to the tale of Yayoi, the daughter of Father's friend Yetsuna, and the fairly successful life she led turning the lands by the Nakano River into a farm. Oh, and marrying a shinobi from the Uchiha clan. Ginko meant well, but Biwako really, really didn't want to hear about successful relationships right now. Really. 

The rest of the night went without further incident. Early in the next morning, Biwako was once again registering herself with the Hokage's aide. Unfortunately, he had gone out even earlier, and the aide didn't know where or how long he would be gone. So it was with a heavy heart that she went to work, all the while dreading the gloating look on the director's face as she reported her failure. It was a short trip; like every other critical function in the village, medical care first sprouted in the centre. And never grew beyond the small white stub of the hospital. 

Rehearsing her pitch to the Hokage – should she ever find him again – Biwako entered the hospital… and nearly walked past a scene but that an old man whistled her down like he was hailing a rickshaw. But then the director herself, relief visible as unbefitting of the clan she married into, did hail Biwako, saying, "I shall leave you in Biwako's most capable hands." 

He perhaps didn't strictly need her help. Someone had put a cast on his presumably broken leg, and he was limping mightily on a too-short cane she recognised from the back collection of the hospital. He was probably not much older than Biwako's father, but there was a frailness to him that was absent in her father, even in the wake of her mother's death. And, Biwako realised, the reason she kept comparing him to her father: this man was not a shinobi down to the bone. 

"Can I help you – " 

"I need a room but that lady over there wouldn't give it to me!" 

"I'm sorry to hear that, but, sir, you do not need to stay overnight." 

The old man puffed up, then wobbled on his cane and broken leg. "But what if I fall? I live alone, what if I fall and break my neck, or my hip? I want to stay, and I don't care about the money." 

_Shoot, there goes my best argument._ Nothing but the truth, now. Grimacing, hopefully sympathetically, Biwako said, "I'm very sorry, sir, I truly am. And so was the director. We would of course admit you to one of our rooms had we one available – " 

"You do have some," the old man said impatiently, some of the grittiness in his voice gone. "I checked." 

Biwako paused. Something nagged at her, but – "I'm very sorry, but they are… reserved." 

"For what?" 

Well, now, she could no longer ignore the oddness before her. "If this is some kind of a prank – " 

A grin split the wizened face, a very familiar grin for all that she'd only seen it once. "No prank, but, ah, I'd appreciate it if you didn't make a scene?" 

It was so much easier to scoff at the Hokage when she was ordered – because the Hokage's words were law – to pretend he was not. "Oh, excuse me, I was only picking up where you left off." 

He made a great struggle of schooling his demeanor into something resembling the guise he was wearing. "Very good, now, since this old man is getting unruly, you're escorting him outside…" 

So ordered, she frog-marched the Hokage by the elbow maybe rougher than she would have a genuine unruly patient. "Oh, let's not return to my office just yet – " 

She let him go. "You are enjoying this… sir. But I must return to my work. Please have a good day." 

"But didn't you make an appointment to see me," the Hokage said as he formed a seal – and lo, it was a young man smirking up at her in a body that finally fit the supreme arrogance of a young man. Her stomach did a flip that had little to do with the realisation that he knew. 

…Or he was bluffing. Either way, he said, "You got me curious. And it was getting so boring up there, governing through reports and lies. I had to see it for myself. You look skeptical, but as you witnessed, I had a very good impression of the impetus behind your proposal, and its urgency… oh, there's that face again. Was I not supposed to take you and yours seriously…?" 

"Not at all," Biwako said quickly, shaking her head. And probably out of some misguided notion of loyalty, she said, "Even so, the hospital recognises that its purpose is first and foremost to support Konoha's shinobi, and to that end we must allocate our resources wisely." 

"Mmhm, so you said. Thus reserving rooms and turning away patients in need – civilians, sorry – in case all of our fielded agents returned at once, or those fatal training accidents that seem to happen all the time." 

"Just so," she murmured, keeping a polite facade. He was, after all, her supreme commander. Who was now gesturing for her to follow him. So she did, walking a respectful step behind as he led her away from the Hokage Tower. 

"Tell me, Biwako-san, do you, by chance, enjoy working at the hospital? Are they using you well?" 

"I…'m not sure I understand, sir." 

He grinned boyishly, and once again her stomach lurched. _Aw, damn it. Not again. And him, of all people?_ "Looks to me you're wasted there. Your foresight, your… intelligence! You see through the needs of the whole of the village, and not just its select parts. You understand, of course, the changes coming to Konoha. The challenges, the new way of living. We are growing, Biwako-san… or rather, we should. As the Hokage, I will see to it. But in order to do so we are in sore need of fresh blood. And I, I need people who understand the wants and needs of our new neighbors, and how to integrate them with the village. After all, you yourself are one such successful proof of Lord First's vision for a village open to all." 

Biwako gaped, nearly asking how he knew – but of course, he was the Hokage, and for good or ill she had drawn his attention. "Yes, my enlistment was a condition for my family's moving into the village." And why not a girl child, who was not needed to inherit her father's business in any case? Well, he didn't need to know that. "Just one question, if you'd please, sir. A bold one, for I know you appreciate honesty." 

"Depends on what kind of honesty," the Hokage muttered, but nodded. They had been wandering aimlessly for some time, but now he stopped and regarded her somewhat seriously. 

"Are you proposing an aide, or a wife?" 

As his eyes widened and her face felt uncomfortably warm, Biwako wondered if this was how her shinobi career would end. "That's very bold, Biwako-san," he managed, "straight to the heart. Truly, you are a kunoichi." 

"W-well, that's just it. I am a kunoichi not of clan born, and the village… talks. It will talk, regardless, simply because you are the young and unmarried Hokage, but – " she cleared her throat " – my first suggestion to you, Lord Hokage, is to… know that even clanless shinobi have expectations on them." 

"And prejudices, and ready scandals… yes, I see. Um, thank you." He recovered quickly enough, rakish grin already in place. "But fear not, for I have a need for both. As my father used to say, behind a great lord there's a lady arranging his vassals in a row for him. Although, of course, he would also slap me if I were to simply sweep you off your feet right here and now without introducing you to my mother." 

Something about the glibness of it all tipped her off. "Or perhaps you never intended to be married right now." 

He winced. "Ack, you saw right through me. That is, I wouldn't rule it out… perhaps in the future, should we prove compatible?" 

It was, frankly, a terrible idea. Biwako had just broken up with her fiance; she hadn't pieced her heart together yet to be broken a second time! And oh, the searchlight that would be aimed at her just for dating the ruling Hokage. But at the same time, she thought of her father. He would manage to be aghast and proud at the same time. 

Finally, she said, "Perhaps we could discuss that over…" 

He looked up with something like hope. "Torifu has been trying to get me to try his new place. Akimichi Torifu, his clan – " 

Biwako nodded, quickly losing her nerve. A public outing, in a location sure to be frequented by clan shinobi, so soon? But she pressed on. "We can discuss my proposal. And other such similar items of concern." 

"But of course. I fear I must warn you that we shall be most productive." 

Hokage, she decided, were allowed a few innuendoes here and there. Whatever this one meant. As he led the way she felt trepidation that was not, perhaps, entirely bad. “We’ll see. Let’s start with… just Biwako.” 

He inclined his head, and winked. “And I’m just Hiruzen.” 

**Author's Note:**

> elenathehun wanted a fluffy Hiruzen/Biwako to make up for the tragic Hiruzen/Biwako I previously wrote, so here you go, buddy.


End file.
